Paintball refillers and method for making and using same

• US 20050022800A1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kheng Phang, Stephen Ho
• Original Assignee: Kheng Phang, Stephen Ho
• Inventors: Ho, Stephen, Phang, Kheng
• Granted Patent: US 7,431,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 124/45
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 9/83 Apparatus or tools for reloading magazines with unbelted ammunition, e.g. cartridge clips
• CPC Class Codes: F41B 11/52 the projectiles being loosely held in a magazine above the gun housing, e.g. in a hopper

Abstract

A paintball hopper refill apparatus or loading apparatus is disclosed, which includes a body, an interior, a closed end, an openable end and an actuator designed to open the openable end of the apparatus. A method for filling a hopper using the loading apparatus of this invention is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A paintball hopper loading apparatus comprising a body, an interior including a plurality of paintballs, an openable end, a closed end, and an actuator designed to open the openable allowing the paintballs to exit the interior of the apparatus.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a flexible material, a semi-rigid material or a rigid material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a pull actuator adapted to be pulled by a user opening the openable end.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pull actuator includes a closing member having a weakened tear zone and a pull member, where the pull member is adapted to be pulled by a user causing the closing member to break or tear along the tear zone opening the openable end.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pull actuator includes a pull member and a closing member having a weakened tear zone, a locking end, an inserting end and a toothed area, where the pull member is adapted to be pulled by a user causing the closing member to break or tear along the tear zone opening the openable end and where the inserting end is designed to be inserted into the locking end of the closing member so that teeth of the toothed area lockingly engage the locking member closing the openable end.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a push actuator adapted to be pushed by a user opening the openable end.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a pull actuator adapted to be pulled by a user opening the openable end and once released re-closes the openable end of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a push actuator adapted to be pushed by a user opening the openable end and once released re-closes the openable end of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of paintballs numbers between about 10 and about 1000 paintballs.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of paintballs numbers between about 25 and about 500 paintballs.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of paintballs numbers between about 50 and about 300 paintballs.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of paintballs numbers 25, 50, 75,100, 125, 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, or 300.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a flexible material, a semi-rigid material or a rigid material.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a pull actuator adapted to be pulled by a user opening the openable end.

16. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pull actuator includes a closing member having a weakened tear zone and a pull member, where the pull member is adapted to be pulled by a user causing the closing member to break or tear along the tear zone opening the openable end.

17. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the pull actuator includes a pull member and a closing member having a weakened tear zone, a locking end, an inserting end and a toothed area, where the pull member is adapted to be pulled by a user causing the closing member to break or tear along the tear zone opening the openable end and where the inserting end is designed to be inserted into the locking end of the closing member so that teeth of the toothed area lockingly engage the locking member closing the openable end.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a push actuator adapted to be pushed by a user opening the openable end.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a pull actuator adapted to be pulled by a user opening the openable end and once released re-closes the openable end of the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a push actuator adapted to be pushed by a user opening the openable end and once released re-closes the openable end of the apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of paintballs numbers between about 10 and about 1000 paintballs.

22. A method for filling a paintball hopper comprising the steps of:

placing an openable end of a loading apparatus of claims 1-21 inside an interior of a paintball hopper, where the loading apparatus comprises a pull or push actuator;

pulling or pushing the pull or push actuator designed to open the openable end of the loading apparatus; and

transferring the paintballs from the apparatus to the hopper.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

releasing the pull or push actuator to re-close the openable end of the loading apparatus.

13. A paintball hopper loader comprising a body having an interior filled with a pre-determined number of paintballs, an openable end, a closed end, and an actuator designed to open the openable allowing the pre-determined number of paintballs to exit the interior of the apparatus.